SVR WX Storm Chaser: May 31st, 2009: Ames, IA

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

May 31st, 2009: Ames, IA

I watched storms building on radar in the area, and I decided to try to get some lightning shots. I only managed to get a couple, as most bolts were embedded within the rain and it was raining when I took these shots.

This one is really neat, lightning arcing off of a distant radio tower. A car drove by during the shot, which created the red glow of their taillights as they passed by.

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Tornado Myths!

#1 - Overpasses are a safe place to take shelter from a tornado if you are caught on the road in your car.

Wrong. Overpasses are actually a very dangerous place to take shelter. They act like a wind tunnel, and can actually increase the wind speed as the tornado passes through. Flying debris is likely to hit you and injure you - or worse. Taking shelter here also creates a traffic hazard for other vehicles trying to pass through as cars may park in the highway, blocking their escape route. Your better options include staying in your car and outrunning the tornado or leaving your vehicle on the side of the road and running into a nearby field or low spot and laying flat on the ground, protecting your head with your arms. Staying alert during severe weather can help you avoid such situations.

#2 - Opening the windows of your house will help save it from the damage of a tornado strike by equalizing the air pressure.

There is no evidence showing that opening windows will help minimize damage to buildings struck by tornadoes. Most of the damage caused by tornadoes is from flying debris and high wind speeds. By taking the time to open windows instead of immediately taking shelter, you are risking your life. If a tornado is bearing down on you, go immediately to the safest part of the building (a basement or interior room with no windows on the lowest level) and take shelter.

#3 - Tornadoes never strike the downtown area of large cities.

This is also not true. There have been large cities that have been struck by tornadoes in the past. St. Louis, Nashville, and Miami have had tornadoes move through downtown areas. The reason why this does not happen very often is because the statistical probability of a tornado hitting any single area is very low. Downtown areas of large cities do not consist of large enough areas for them to be frequently hit. Sooner or later, it will happen.

#4 - The most dangerous weather hazard I can encounter when storm chasing is a tornado.

Flash floods and lightning each kill more people in the United States every year than do tornadoes. Always remember to take precautions to minimize the risk of being struck by lightning (such as staying in your car as much as possible near areas of frequent lightning) and NEVER drive through flooded areas (turn around, don't drown). As long as you know what you are looking at in a thunderstorm, tornadoes will be a relatively low risk to you, provided that you always have a safe exit route planned and don't put yourself in the path of a tornado.

#5 - Larger tornadoes are stronger than smaller tornadoes.

A tornado's intensity has very little to do with its size. Violent tornadoes have occurred in all shapes and sizes. The only partial truth to this myth is that larger tornadoes will most likely have an increased time to cause damage due to a larger area of strong winds.

SVR WX Storm Chaser

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

May 31st, 2009: Ames, IA

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